MH-227 Neotropic - White RabbitsAfter a string of successful releases for Ninja Tune's Ntone imprint, Neotropic makes her Mush debut with her finest work to date: White Rabbits. Utilizing collaborative live performances from a number of talented guest musicians on a bed of sparse programming, Neotropic has crafted a release that is a continuation of her migration toward warm, minimal, acoustically grounded compositions. Her blend of environmental audio and rhythms document many moods and transitions. Piano lines and strings drift above fragile drum loops, an unassuming guitar strum slowly develops into a moving body of instruments, and sporadic vocals muse on the difficulty of finding and maintaining love.

The predominantly instrumental material blends ambient, electronica, rock, and folk and strikes a good balance between spontaneous live playing and predetermined song structures. While there's an emphasis on instruments like strings, guitars, drums, and piano, she subtly enriches the acoustic layers with field recordings (rainstorms, train station announcements), electronic noises, and phasing effects. The musicians stretch out, too, with long tracks acting like travelogues through varying moods and episodes. Prepare to be taken aback by the prettiness of "New Cross" especially when Maslen's bright glockenspiel joins the laid-back piano and drums groove, imbuing it with a sunniness that complements the razor guitars floating in the background. "Feelin' Remote" surprises too when Joff Watkins' bluesy harmonica wails alongside Tim Glenn's powerful drumming, and darker moods are nurtured in the portentous "Magpies" when Jessica Hayssen adds her violin sawing to its dramatic cymbal splashes, ghostly vocal shudders, and anguished cries. A final eye-opener is the roaring, guitar-based hidden track where Maslen channels Motorhead. While not all of it succeeds, what's more important is Maslen's wise decision to forgo a hermetic solo approach for the wealth of future possibilities the group direction supplies. - Textura